Foldable waterproof boot



Sept V13 1927' E. R. WHARTON FOLDABLE WATERPROOF BOOT Filed Nv. 26, 192e Patented Sept-13, 1927* UNITED vSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD n. wHAnToN, or MEDFQRD, MASSACHUSETTS.

roLnABLE WATERPROOF BooT.

-pplication led November 26, 1926. Serial No. 150,829.

tractive appearance, enhanced by the fact that portions of the `stocking are visible.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part 'of this speciiication- Figure 1 shows in perspective a boot em- 'bodylng the invention, as itappears when in use, a portion of the outer leg layer being broken away.

Figure 2 is a side view of one of the sections constituting the inner leg layer.

Figure 3 is a side View of one of the sections constituting the outer leg layer. n

Figure .4 is a section on line 4-4 f Fig- 'Figure 5 is a section on line 5 5 of Figure 1.

Figure is aside View, showing the bottom portion differently formed.

The same reference characters lndlcate the same parts in all of the figures.

My improved boot comprises a waterproof bottom ortion includin a .wear-sustainlng sole an a wear-sustaining upper member.

-As shown :by Figures 1 vand 2, the sole includes .a fore part 12, a shank 'part 13, and a heel art 14. The upper member 15 is upy stan ing, or projects-upward from the sole',

wate as in a -rubber overshoe, and may be very narrow or low, as shown by Figures land 5, or considerably wider, or hlgher, as shown by Figure 6. In veach case, the bottommemberconstitutes, 'in effect, a rubber overshoe which isof 4the extremely low-cut type in Figures 1 and 5, and of the high-cut type in Figure 6. The sole 'and up er members maybe constructed and unit as usual 1n `rubber overshoee.

To the l.u permember 15 is connected by a seam or joint formed in any suitab e wa an outer leg layer 16, of thin, limp and tran arent waterproof sheet material, referab y China silk a 'well known materia used- .in the manuact'ure of rain coats or slickers. This layer may be com posed of two iecesor sections, each formed as'shown by igure 3, or otherwise formed,

the sections' being so joined to each other.'

'tical seam19 (Figure 4 and to the upper member 15 of the bottom portion, that a b oot is provided having a water-excluding external surface formed in part on the bottom portion, and in part von lthe outer layer 16. The bottom portion and the outer layer constitute a -foot and leg covering, the entire external surfaces of which are impervious to water. The leg layer 16, when made of material such as China silk, is' too limp to constitute, without reinforcement, a leg which is satisfactory in respects other than imperviousness to water, so that I reinforce it by the inner leg layer next described.

The reinforcing inner layer designated by 17, is composed of material of greater strength and stiffness than China' silk, and is preferably of textile fabric, although it may be of thin leather, or any other suitable material. Said layer is of openwork construe; tion, its continuity being interrupted by ropenings 1 7a the form and arrangement of which are such that the layer is adapted to 4be collapsed by vfolding or rolling; linto smallercompass, thangwould be possible if the layer `were continuous vor uninterrupted.-

The openings also permit the color of a stocking. to be seen through the tran arent Chinasilk, when the boot isinuse, t e attractiveness of the boot being thus enhanced. Theinner layer maybe composed of two ieces or sections, each formed as shown by igure 2, althoughthey may be otherwise formed; The inner layer may be joined to the outer'layer and joined, with the latter,

means, so that the leg formed by thetwo layers is securely connected with the bottom portion, andthe inner layer is caused toreinforce the limp outer layer and cause it to the upper member 15, by any suitable to, conform closely to the portions of the limb which it covers.

The openwork inner layer may be produced by either cutting the openings 17 out of a section of continuous cloth, or by i sewing together strips of tape, or other suitable materiah the strips 'extending in different directions and being arranged to bound'the openings 17.

The sections forming the outer `and inner layers may be united by a'butted -v'erat the rear side of the laminated leg. covered by a stay strip 19. The customary opening which permits the opening of the le an' e seam may be the closing thereof by a. lacing, or? ot er closing means, may have opposite.

edges formed bythe longitudinal forward edges of the sections of which the layers are composed. Said ,forward edges may be erforated to receive eyelets 20, engaging a. seing 21, and may be additionally reinforced to support the eyelets, ifl desired.

v The laminated leg above described is adapted to be 'folded wrapped or roller around the bettelnA portion, which includes the sole and the up er member 15. The openwork or skeleton orm of the inner layer, and the thinness and limpness of the outer layer, enable the boot to be reduced to a flattened roll of such small conveniently packed in a hand bag. The well known'transparency of the China silk enables` portions of a stocking Within the leg to be seen through the openings 17a. The outer layer may be stitched to the openwork inner layer by lines 9.2 of stitches, indicated conventionally by Fi res 1 and 6.

The longitudinal eg opening may be closed by a tongue 23, when the boot is in use, the tongue being suitably secured and adapted to. extend across the opening and overla the inner side portions of the leg at opposite sides ofthe opening. The tongue ma include an inner layer of iiexible leather an an outer layer of China silk, matching the outer leg layer.

lThe joining of the lower end of the leg to the upper member may be effected by size that it may beapplying a tape binding (Figure n5) to the lower end of the leg, cementing the binding to the layers 16 and 17, cementing the outer side of the binding to the upper mem-- ber 15, and sewing together the member 15, the binding, and the layers, by stitches 26.

I claim:

A foldable Waterproof boot, comprising a waterproof bottom vortion including a wearsustaining sole and eel, and a wear-sustaining upper member upstanding therefrom, an

outer leg layer of thin and limp transparent folded, and composed of material of greater strength and sti ness than that of the outer layer, so that when the boot is inI use, the outer layer is reinforced and su ported by the inner layer, With portions o the 'stocking visible, the leg formed by saidvlayers being adapted to be folded compactly around the bottom portion for storage.

Inutestimony' whereof I haveaixed my signature.

EDWARD R. WHARTON. 

